High-explosive shell



Sept. 8, 1925; 1,552,435

F. G. L. JOHNSON HIGH EXPLOSIVE SHELL Filed Feb. 6, 1924 Sept; 8, 1925.

. 1,552,435 F. G. L. JOHNSON HIGH EXPLOSIVE SHELL Filed Feb. 6, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 8, 1 925.

F. G. .L. JOHNSON HIGH EXPLOSIVE SHELL Filed Feb. 6, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Sept. 8, 1925. I V I I p I V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FR D RICK GEOFFREY LE s JOHNSON, E, WESTMINSTER, LONDON, ENGLAND, As- IGNO To VIGKERS LIMITED, 01* WESTMINSTER, ENGLAND, A BRITISH COMPANY.

HIGH-EXPLOSIVE SHELL.

Application filed Februaryfl, 1924. Serial No. 690,922.

Toall whom it may concern: .as applied to an armour-piercing" shell of Be it known that I, FREDERICK GEOFFREY large calibre, and

. LEEs JoHNsoN, a subject of the King of Figure 5 is an axial section, drawn to a Great Britain, residing at Vickers House, larger scale, of the wind or contour cap of 5 Broadway, 'VVestminster, in the county of Figure 4 and the parts of the fuze disposed London, England, have invented certain therein.

new andu'seful Improvements in or Relat- A is the shell, B, B respectively are the f ing. to High-Explosive Shells, of which the needle or striker-and the percussion cap of following is-a. specification. the impact or percussion fuze and C is the 10 This invention relates to high explosive axial tube by which the flash from the fuze 6 shells and has for its chief object to prois transmitted to the detonator C carried Vide'a more sensitive and reliable ignition in. the rear part of the said tube. In all the than is given by the existing base fuzes constructions shewn the fuze is generally while retaining the advanta es resulting similar to that forming the subject of the 1 from the base-ignition of tie explosive prior English Patent No. 180.422, the needle charge. B andthe percussion cap B being carried According to theinvention the ignition by piston-like elements B", B respectively device co nprisesanimpact or percussion the rear surfaces of which are subjected to fuze at' or near the nose of the shell, a the pressure of the air during the flight of ZU-detonator at or near the base of the shell the shell in order to move both these ele- 7 and a tube or channel by which the flash ments in a forward direction after they from the fuze is transmitted to the detonahave been unlocked by suitable inertia and tor. In small shells the said tube may be centrifugal devices. The needle B forms inserted from the front of the shell, the part of a member B which, when the ele- 25 nose-piece carrying the impact or percusment B is'moved forwardly as aforesaid, sion fuze' being screwed into position after projects beyond the nose of the shell so that the shell has. been loaded with its high exon impact of this member with an obstrucplosive charge and the tube has been placed tion the needle B is forced against the perin position, or the said tube may be inserted cussion cap B the holder of which is suit- 30 from the base of the shell. In large armourably retained in its operative or forward piercing shells the tube is carried by the position. usual base plug which closes the opening In the construction shewn by Figure 1 the through which the explosive charge is intube C-with the detonator C in osition is sorted into the shell and the aforesaid iminserted from the open front 0 the shell I '35 pact or percussion fuze may be attached to with its rear end disposed around a central the front end of the armour-piercing cap, projection on a disc D disposed in the lower 1 the latter being formed with an axial hole end of the cavit in the shell. The charge through which and through an axial hole in E of tetryl and t e charge F of T. N, T. are the head of the shell, the flash from the perthen inserted and a washer Gr is .placed 7 40 cussion cap passes to the tube and thence to above them and secured by a Screw g, this the detonator. washer having a shouldered hole in which In order that the saidinvention may be the upper end of the tube C is disposed, clearly understood and readily carried into The fuze body H is then screwed into place, effect, the same will now be more fully dethis body and the aforesaid member B -be- 45 scribed with reference to the accompanying ing covered by tin foil it having a tear-off 1 drawings, in which wire by which the tin foil can be stripped Flgures 1, 2 and 3 are axial sections shewoif when desired. A thin tube a of 'carding three constructional forms of the the board is employed for retaining the detonainvention'as applied to small shells, Figures tor in position.

50 1 and 2 illustrating two pounder shells for The construction according to'Figure 2 example and Figure 3 illustrating an eightis generally similar to Figure 1 except that een pounder shell. the tube 0 is screwed into an extension C" Figure 4 is a view similar to Figures 1, 2 having a flange of similar shape to the disc and 3, but with the wind or contour cap in D of Fi ure 1. The rear end oiLthe exten- 55 elevation, Shewing a form of the invention sion O is closed by a plug 0" after its interior has been filled with an exploder C composed for example of tetrvl pellets.

In the construction according to Figure 3 the tube C and extension C" are similar to Figure 2 but the extension C is screwed into a plug C which screws into the base of the shell, the unit composed of the ,plug C the extension G" and the tube C being inserted from the rear and the opening therein closed by a screw-threaded disc C. In this construction the charge F of T. N. T. is contained in a paper container In the construction according to Figures 4 and 5 the tube C and the extension C" are connected by an internally screw-threaded extension of the plug C which in this case is carried by another screwthreaded plug C closing the opening through which, in-

this construction, the charge F in its container f is inserted into the shell from the rear. Below the said charge F is a moulded block F of high explosive. The front end of the tube C communicates with an axial hole a passing through the nose of the shell.

-' This hole in turn communicates with an axial hole a formed in the usual armour piercing cap A and the latter hole communicates with the'magazine of the fuze. The fuze body H is attached to the front end of the armour-piercing cap as shewn in Figure 5 and this cap also carries a casing A having a ring a against which bears a shoulder a, on the wind or contour cap A The forward end of the said casing A is screw-threaded to receive a screw-threaded member A* hearing against the front end of the cap A as shewn. The forward part of the casing A supports a guide tube a in which the aforesaid member B connected to the member R" of the needle B is slidably arranged.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a high explosive shell, the combiv nation of an impact or percussion fuze at the nose of the shell, a high explosive charge within the shell, a gaine or detonator arranged contiguous to the rear part of said high explosive charge, and an axial tube by which the flash from the fuze is transmitted to said gaine.

2. In a high explosive shell, the combination of an impact or percussion fuze at the nose of the shell, a high explosive charge within the shell, a gaine or detonator arranged contiguous to the rear part of said high explosive charge, an axial tube by which the flash from the fuze is transmitted to the gaine, said tube being inserted from the base of the shell, and a plug carrying said tube and closing the hole in the base.

3. In a high explosive shell, the combination of an impact or percussion fuze having a striking member situated at the nose of the shell, means for moving said mem ber forward'to arm the fuze by the air pressure created by the passage of the shell through the air, a high explosive charge within the shell, a gaine or detonator arranged contiguous to the rear part of said high explosive charge, and an axial tube by which the flash from the fuze'is transmitted to said gaine.

FREDERICK GEOFFREY LEES JOHNSON. 

